


Popularity Contest

by Writer Awakened (WriterAwakened)



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkwardness, Bento, Congrats to Gatekeeper for winning CYL5!, Congrats to Marianne for winning CYL5!, Drabble, F/M, Feel-good, Fluff, Gatekeeper & Marianne, General, Humor, Marianne you are loved and appreciated, Pre-Relationship, Self-Esteem Issues, Shy Gatekeeper, Shy Marianne, White Clouds, You are too Gatekeeper-kun, You both better have good skills I swear to Sothis..., mutual awkwardness, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29187789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterAwakened/pseuds/Writer%20Awakened
Summary: (In honor of their record-shattering popularities...)One day, Marianne decides to bring the friendly gatekeeper at the gates of Garreg Mach Monastery a little something as thanks for his constant vigilance. In return, the gatekeeper shows a little love back.
Relationships: Gatekeeper/Marianne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	Popularity Contest

“H-Hello...”

Of all the people to approach him at his post, the ever vigilant Gatekeeper of Garreg Mach least expected it to be little Marianne von Edmund. There were so many talented students at the Officers’ Academy with so many idiosyncrasies that he was pretty well acclimated to being one of the least popular faces in the crowd. For anyone other than Professor Byleth to stop and chat with him was a rare treat indeed. Yet there she was before him, Marianne, carefully straightening out her blue dress, a small wicker basket held down by her side.

“Oh! Hello there, Miss Marianne!” replied the gatekeeper, saluting. “On your way to the stables?”

“Um, yes...no! Actually, I-I was coming to see you.”

From beneath his helm, he narrowed his eyes. “To see me? Well, I’m...I’m flattered! V-very flattered, in fact. What can I do for you today?”

Marianne looked down, blushing carnation pink in the sun, kicking at the ground. A merchant passed from inside the main hall of the monastery, and offered an appraising look at Marianne as he walked down the steps into the town square. For her part, Marianne didn’t seem to notice him in the slightest.

“U-Um...”

“Lovely weather we’re having today, isn’t it?” said the gatekeeper, poking through the silence. “Peak Horsebow weather! Not too hot, not too cool. Not that I should be so chipper, after everything that’s happened these past few months...”

“You’re right...a lot of bad things have been happening lately. I-I wish I could have done more to help, but…”

“Hey now!” the gatekeeper said, waving his hands to refute her. “Don’t blame yourself, Miss Marianne! You do a lot of great work looking after the horses and the pegasi, plus that one time you healed me when I busted open my knee! Do you—do you remember that?”

Marianne looked up, and for an instant she broke out her smile. “Yes...I remember.”

A few seconds passed without any exchange of words, and the gatekeeper’s neck and ears began to flush along with his heartbeat.

“Um...so, what do you have in your basket there?”

“Oh!” Marianne looked up again, and for the first time looked the gatekeeper in his eyes (as much as she could, at least) and held up the wicker basket. “Actually, I brought it for you.”

“Huh?” the gatekeeper blinked. “For...me? Really?”

“I thought you might be hungry. You always stand and keep watch over us, even when it rains. I...I appreciate your sacrifice to keep us safe.” With both hands, Marianne thrust the basket out towards the gatekeeper, who after a moment of looking between her and the basket, took the offering from her. He looked down at it, as if it were about to vanish right before his eyes. A disappearing basket would have been one of the least odd things to happen at Garreg Mach.

“Uh, th-thank you. Thank you very much, Miss Marianne!” The gatekeeper saluted with his free hand. “You don’t mind if I take a look inside, do you?”

Marianne shook her head, and in fact watched carefully as he opened it to reveal a neatly arranged row of ham and tomato sandwich halves, accompanied by an assortment of fresh vegetables from the greenhouse and several pastries that were still slightly warm to the touch. Salivation was immediate.

“Wow...this looks delicious! Everything looks so good. Did you—did you make this for me? Y-Yourself?”

“Yes. I’m—I’m not a very good cook, so I apologize if it doesn’t taste good.”

The gatekeeper shook his head so vigorously that his helmet rattled. “Ridiculous! In fact, my mouth is watering just thinking about eating it. I would gladly leave my post to sit down and eat it right now, but...I’m not so certain Lady Catherine would appreciate it! Perhaps at the end of my shift later tonight. I promise, I’m going to wolf it down so fast I’ll have to take special precautions not to _choke_ to death! ...Ma’am.”

“Oh, no!” Marianne exclaimed, suddenly finding herself laughing. “Please don’t choke.”

The gatekeeper saluted once again. “I won’t. That’s a promise. And—if I may be so bold, Marianne...you have a l-lovely smile!”

“Oh? O-oh...” She turned away, blushing. “No, I...I’m not really so...”

“Nonsense! I’m sure people tell you all the time how beauti—um, how very nice your smile is.”

Marianne shook her head, and her dour expression returned. “That’s not true at all,” she said, now stern. “I’m not a very popular person. The other Golden Deer students are all kind, but I’m sure they think I’m very boring.”

“Boring?” The gatekeeper chortled loudly. “I don’t know the meaning of the word! Even standing here nearly ten hours a day isn’t boring! Even if sometimes it’s a little slow, and not much happens...regardless, it’s still not quite boring! Besides, I’m finding talking with you to be very stimulating. There’s not too many people who come to chat with little me.”

“I’m sure you’re very popular with the other students too. If you went missing, I’m certain people would be very concerned that—”

“With all due respect, Marianne, it isn’t all a popularity contest!” The gatekeeper considered reaching out a hand to the blue girl, and then reconsidered. “You’re an important part of the student body here at Garreg Mach. Not a single one has an unkind word to say about you.”

“Really? That’s...very kind of you.”

The clouds had shifted overhead, and the sun’s bright light began to fall through the blue sky. The gatekeeper tilted his head slightly down to dodge the glare, closer to Marianne’s eye line.

“I-If it’s not too much trouble, would you come and visit me again? Of course you don’t have to bring me lunch or anything like that. But it’s completely fantastic just to stand and chat. If you—you know, have the time to, of course.”

Marianne looked up, looking less morose than she did peaceful, and nodded.


End file.
